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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: content · kick · stem · leaves · hand · temple · fan · branch

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. content — the amount
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stem — to come from
  8. kick — in football
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. hand — help
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. content — happy
  17. branch — a division
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hand — in cards
  24. branch — 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