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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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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: object · branch · mine · stem · rock · row

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. 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. object — a thing
  2. row — a line
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rock — a stone
  5. branch — a division
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. object — an aim
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stem — to come from
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rock — music
  16. object — to protest
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. 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