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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pop — soda
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stem — to come from
  23. key — in music
  24. pop — music

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