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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: wave · stem · branch · mine · bulb · suit · swing · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mine — for digging
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. branch — a division
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. swing — music
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. kid — to tease
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bulb — for light
  24. suit — in cards

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