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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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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 · mine · lean · fall · kick · fine · branch · lash

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lean — to bend
  6. kick — in football
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lean — thin
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fine — high quality
  12. branch — a division
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fall — the season
  19. fine — all right
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stem — to come from

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