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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stock — shares
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. swing — in golf
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stem — to come from
  10. branch — a division
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stock — goods
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. swing — music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stem — a stem cell

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