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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rest — a break
  9. stock — goods
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. roll — a cake
  15. stock — shares
  16. root — of a plant
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. root — the cause
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. root — of a word
  24. roll — a list

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