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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. spring — the season
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stem — to come from
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spring — of water
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. key — for a lock
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. branch — a division
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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