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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 · rule · fan · stem · can · clip · nail · chair

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. clip — to cut
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. branch — a division
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. chair — a leader
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rule — a law
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. clip — for paper
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. clip — a video
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rule — government

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