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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. key — in music
  5. hand — help
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. key — the most important part
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. board — a committee
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. hand — in cards
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wave — with your hand

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