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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · plane · stick · fall · branch · safe · pop · stem

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pop — music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — to come from
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. branch — a division
  16. fall — the season
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pop — to visit

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