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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. last — final
  4. field — farmland
  5. tube — a container
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stem — to come from
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. charge — electricity
  11. last — to go on
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. last — finally
  14. field — a subject
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — for sport
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pass — a permit
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. branch — of a tree

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