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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.

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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: fan · object · stem · hide · coach · cap · branch · present

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. present — the time now
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. object — a thing
  14. branch — a division
  15. object — an aim
  16. cap — of ice
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — there
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. present — a gift
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. object — to protest
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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