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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 120 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: deal · stem · rock · cell · calf · branch · spring · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. spring — the season
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cell — a phone
  9. stem — to come from
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. spring — of water
  12. rock — music
  13. track — a song
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. track — a path
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spring — a coil
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rock — a stone
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cell — in biology

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