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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: pitcher · kid · pass · stem · cap · rush · branch · straw

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. kid — child
  10. cap — of ice
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. branch — a division
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rush — hurry
  24. kid — to tease

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