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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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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: nail · pound · branch · stem · tube · bulb · cell · swing

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pound — a weight
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — a phone
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. swing — to play on
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stem — to come from
  18. branch — a division
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. tube — a container
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. tube — the underground

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