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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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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 · cell · fork · land · rule · mate · stem · leaves

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. branch — a division
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rule — government
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. land — to come down
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. land — ground
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cell — a phone
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rule — a law
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stem — to come from
  24. land — a country

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