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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cap — of ice
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mine — for digging
  18. branch — a division
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lash — an eyelash

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