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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 · last · leaves · key · plane · date · racket · stem

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. last — to go on
  8. date — the fruit
  9. plane — a tool
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. last — final
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. last — finally
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. key — the most important part
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stem — to come from
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. plane — an aircraft

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