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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 116 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: branch · bulb · stem · mine · cabinet · swing · perch · root

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. branch — a division
  6. swing — to play on
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. root — the cause
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. swing — music

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