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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. clip — for paper
  4. net — after costs
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stem — to come from
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rest — what's left
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. deal — to handle
  16. net — for catching
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. branch — a division
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rest — a break
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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