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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.

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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: branch · mine · rule · straw · dip · can · stem · scale

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. can — a tin
  6. mine — for digging
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. can — a tin
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rule — a law
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stem — to come from
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rule — government
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. branch — a division
  24. scale — in music

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