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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. branch — a division
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. vault — a safe
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. field — farmland
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. field — for sport
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. deal — to handle
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bulb — for light
  24. deal — an agreement

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