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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. saw — the tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bound — certain
  10. land — to come down
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. land — a country
  15. suit — clothes
  16. file — a document
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bound — obliged
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. land — ground
  23. pass — a permit
  24. saw — the tool

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