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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: track · land · spring · cabinet · stem · ruler · lash · branch

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. spring — of water
  7. track — a path
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. spring — the season
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stem — to come from
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lash — to lash out
  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