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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. kid — to tease
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pit — a hole
  6. kid — child
  7. pit — in a race
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stem — to come from
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. branch — a division
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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