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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: saw · branch · bear · wave · date · pitch · stem · hide

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. stem — to come from
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. branch — a division
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. date — the fruit
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pitch — completely
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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