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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 · cap · coach · bass · straw · plane · stem · press

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cap — of ice
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. cap — a hat
  6. branch — a division
  7. bass — low music
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. cap — a lid
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bass — the fish
  22. press — to push
  23. coach — a trainer
  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