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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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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: racket · stem · fall · lean · branch · bat · swing · stand

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stand — to bear
  5. lean — thin
  6. branch — a division
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stem — to come from
  10. swing — music
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fall — to drop
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. swing — to play on
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fall — the season
  17. bat — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lean — to bend
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stand — for spectators

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