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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: bowl · stem · game · branch · bay · season · race · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. branch — a division
  3. game — a match
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. race — humankind
  8. season — in sport
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stem — to come from
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. season — of the year
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. race — a contest
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. race — the arms race
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. lean — thin

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