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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. swing — music
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mate — to breed
  5. branch — a division
  6. root — of a plant
  7. clip — a video
  8. stem — to come from
  9. swing — to play on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. can — a tin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. can — to be able to
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mate — a friend
  16. can — a tin
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mate — a partner
  22. swing — in golf
  23. clip — to cut
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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