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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · date · wake · branch · stick · pit · file · stem

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — a hole
  3. branch — a division
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. date — the fruit
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pit — in a race
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. file — a tool
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fine — all right
  23. file — a document
  24. branch — of a bank

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