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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — of the year
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. chair — a leader
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stem — to come from
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. season — in sport
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. branch — a division
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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