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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stem — to come from
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. branch — a division
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. season — of the year
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. season — 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