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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: branch · bay · land · row · bank · face · stem · swing

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. land — ground
  3. swing — to play on
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. land — a country
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. row — a line
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bank — for money
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bank — for money
  14. swing — music
  15. face — to confront
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. land — to come down

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