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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 124 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. track — a song
  5. wound — an injury
  6. foot — a measure
  7. current — happening now
  8. rest — what's left
  9. track — to keep track
  10. current — electric
  11. branch — a division
  12. press — to push
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. track — a path
  20. current — of water
  21. rest — a break
  22. stem — to come from
  23. press — a publisher
  24. branch — of a tree

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