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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rush — hurry
  3. net — in sport
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bass — low music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. net — after costs
  10. rule — a law
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bound — certain
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stem — to come from
  16. branch — a division
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rule — government
  23. net — for catching
  24. stem — of a plant

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