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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 124 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. capital — a city
  3. stem — to come from
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. march — music
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. march — the month
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. branch — a division
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rash — a series
  16. capital — money
  17. rash — hasty
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. march — the month
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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