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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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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: band · suit · deal · game · stem · fall · date · branch

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a music group
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. suit — clothes
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. branch — a division
  18. suit — to fit
  19. band — a ring
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stem — to come from
  22. game — a match
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. deal — to handle

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