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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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Word bank
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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: nail · branch · leaves · charge · stem · ground

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — a division
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. ground — a position
  10. charge — in control
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stem — to come from
  14. charge — electricity
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. charge — a price
  18. leaves — of a tree

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