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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. last — final
  3. stem — to come from
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bear — the animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fine — all right
  17. craft — a skill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. craft — boats
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com