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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stem — to come from
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — an injury
  13. net — for catching
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. net — after costs
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. net — in sport

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