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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. drill — army training
  4. bark — to shout
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rock — music
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. lean — to bend
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. spell — magic
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. spell — letters
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. drill — a practice
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rock — a stone

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