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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · branch · leaves · stem · lash · bank · content · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. content — happy
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stem — to come from
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bank — for money
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. content — the amount
  16. ball — a dance
  17. branch — a division
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bank — for money
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bank — of a river
  23. ball — a great time
  24. branch — of a bank

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