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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. firm — a company
  3. saw — the tool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. firm — steady
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. club — a group
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. branch — a division
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fall — to drop
  17. suit — in cards
  18. club — for golf
  19. kick — in football
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. firm — decided
  23. suit — clothes
  24. club — for dancing

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