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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bore — to tire
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. club — a group
  5. branch — a division
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stem — to come from
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. club — for golf
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bore — to drill

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