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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: deal · stem · fall · net · bay · straw · branch · march

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. net — for catching
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. branch — a division
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. march — the month
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fall — to drop
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fall — to drop
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. net — in sport
  18. march — music
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fall — the season
  21. march — the month
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. net — after costs
  24. straw — dry grass

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