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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · last · mouse · mine · pass · chip · calf · branch

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stem — to come from
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. last — final
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. last — to go on
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. branch — a division
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. chip — to eat
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. last — finally
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stem — of a plant

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