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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. file — a document
  3. net — after costs
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. net — in sport
  8. branch — a division
  9. file — a line of people
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stem — to come from
  13. file — a tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mine — for digging
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. net — for catching
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. leaves — lets stay

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