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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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468
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: stem · kick · squash · season · fine · stick · branch · cabinet

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stem — to come from
  7. season — of the year
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. squash — the sport
  17. branch — a division
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stem — of a plant

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