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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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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: rash · kick · straw · jam · stem · lean · kid · branch

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stem — to come from
  3. branch — a division
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. kid — child
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. lean — to bend
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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