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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: rush · key · stem · scale · tear · branch · face · club

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. face — to confront
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. face — to point toward
  8. club — a group
  9. face — part of the head
  10. club — for golf
  11. key — the most important part
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. key — in music
  16. tear — to rip
  17. scale — in music
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. key — for a lock
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rush — hurry
  24. branch — a division

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