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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
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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: swing · board · vault · branch · spring · prune · stem · firm

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. spring — the season
  3. firm — a company
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stem — to come from
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spring — of water
  8. branch — a division
  9. spring — a coil
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. board — a committee
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. firm — decided
  19. swing — to play on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. firm — steady
  22. board — to get on
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. stem — of a plant

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