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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 116 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 · bark · swing · fall · stem · leaves · stand · wave

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fall — to drop
  4. swing — to play on
  5. branch — a division
  6. fall — the season
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. branch — of a tree

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