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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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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: stick · shower · bay · season · stem · hide · tear · branch

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. tear — from crying
  4. shower — rain
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tear — from crying
  12. season — of the year
  13. branch — a division
  14. season — in sport
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tear — to rip
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. shower — to wash

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