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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 124 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stock — goods
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rash — a series
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rash — hasty
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. present — the time now
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. present — there
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stock — shares
  21. lean — to bend
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kick — in football

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