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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: fan · foot · branch · perch · fall · stem · board · bowl

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fall — to drop
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. board — to get on
  8. fall — to drop
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fall — the season
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. branch — a division
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. foot — a measure
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. board — a committee
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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