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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 116 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: row · dip · rest · stem · branch · bore · field · swing

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rest — what's left
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. row — a line
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. swing — music
  11. rest — a break
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bore — to drill
  14. swing — in golf
  15. field — a subject
  16. rest — what's left
  17. swing — to play on
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. bore — to tire
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. branch — a division
  24. dip — to dunk

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