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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: stick · clip · mine · fan · perch · lash · branch · stem

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mine — for digging
  23. clip — to cut
  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