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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mate — a partner
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. craft — a skill
  6. staff — employees
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — boats
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mate — a friend
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. ground — a position
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. staff — employees
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. branch — a division

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