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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: cabinet · pitcher · stem · branch · clip · ruler · stand · fall

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fall — to drop
  10. branch — a division
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. clip — for paper
  18. fall — the season
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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