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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 120 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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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: straw · stem · mouse · fine · fan · pitcher · branch · rock

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — to come from
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fine — all right
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. branch — a division

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