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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: stem · leaves · spring · wake · dip · branch · bulb · rule

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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 bank
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rule — government
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. spring — the season
  10. bulb — for light
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stem — to come from
  14. dip — to sink
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bulb — for light
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rule — a law
  22. wake — a trail
  23. spring — of water
  24. leaves — lets stay

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