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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.

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: branch · charge · spell · stem · swing · mouse · stick · fan

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. swing — music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spell — magic
  9. swing — in golf
  10. branch — a division
  11. spell — a short time
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stem — to come from
  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