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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · present · spring · pitch · branch · wax · stem · lash

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. spring — a coil
  5. present — a gift
  6. stem — to come from
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. last — to go on
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. spring — of water
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. last — final
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. spring — the season
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wax — to grow
  20. present — the time now
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. last — finally
  24. wax — in the ear

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