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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: craft · stem · branch · squash · patient · game · vault · leaves

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. game — wild animals
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. craft — a skill
  10. game — a match
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. squash — the sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. craft — boats
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. vault — a safe
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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