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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: toast · snap · swing · branch · rest · content · stem · row

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. snap — to click
  3. content — the amount
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rest — a break
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. swing — music
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. branch — a division
  14. rest — what's left
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stem — to come from
  17. row — to paddle
  18. swing — to play on
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rest — what's left
  21. swing — in golf
  22. content — happy
  23. toast — bread
  24. row — a line

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