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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: branch · field · rock · mate · wax · stem · spring · hand

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. field — for sport
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. field — a subject
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mate — a friend
  21. spring — the season
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stem — to come from
  24. hand — help

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