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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · stem · branch · straw · roll · net

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. net — for catching
  6. branch — a division
  7. net — after costs
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stem — to come from
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. roll — a list
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. net — in sport
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away

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