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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · rock · spring · stem · race · branch · cue · stick

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. lean — thin
  6. race — a contest
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. spring — of water
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cue — for pool
  11. spring — the season
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stem — to come from
  15. race — the arms race
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rock — music
  21. cue — a hint
  22. race — humankind
  23. rock — to move gently
  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