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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: stick · calf · hand · tear · branch · current · pass · stem

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. hand — in cards
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hand — help
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stem — to come from
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. current — of water
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stem — a stem cell

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