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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 116 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: branch · stem · present · perch · staff · saw · kick · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. present — a gift
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. present — there
  6. saw — the tool
  7. field — farmland
  8. branch — a division
  9. perch — the fish
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. present — the time now
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. saw — the tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. field — for sport
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. staff — a stick
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kick — in football
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. staff — employees
  23. stem — to come from
  24. kick — a thrill

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