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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: jam · hide · branch · hand · leaves · can · plane · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. plane — a tool
  4. can — to be able to
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. stem — to come from
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. branch — a division
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. can — a tin

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