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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: deal · shower · lean · swing · vault · branch · stem · rush

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. lean — to bend
  7. vault — a safe
  8. swing — music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stem — to come from
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. swing — to play on
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lean — thin
  18. branch — a division
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. shower — to wash
  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