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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. object — an aim
  3. saw — the tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. object — to protest
  6. saw — the tool
  7. object — a thing
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. spell — letters
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spell — a short time
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. spell — magic
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. branch — a division

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