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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: stem · saw · mouse · bat · wake · branch · racket · bear

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wake — a trail
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bat — the animal
  18. branch — a division
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mouse — for a computer

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