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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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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: cell · swing · deal · branch · press · stem · bowl · lean

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stem — to come from
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. press — to push
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. branch — a division
  8. swing — in golf
  9. deal — to handle
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lean — to bend
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lean — thin
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. press — a publisher
  19. swing — to play on
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. swing — music
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — a dish

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