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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
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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: coach · mine · stem · branch · prune · squash · mark · rest

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rest — a break
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rest — what's left
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. branch — a division
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rest — what's left
  14. prune — to trim
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stem — to come from
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. squash — to crush

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