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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: branch · stem · saw · mug · capital · season · cabinet · stick

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mug — to rob
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mug — a face
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. season — of the year
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. capital — money
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. season — in sport
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  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