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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: cell · branch · plane · calf · land · rest · coach · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rest — what's left
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. branch — a division
  11. rest — what's left
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stem — to come from
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. cell — in biology
  20. land — ground
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — a break
  24. calf — a young animal

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