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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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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: stem · bore · wave · fan · club · cabinet · perch · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bore — to drill
  4. club — for golf
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bore — to tire
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. club — a group
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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