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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 · fan · stem · bowl · calf · press · rush · racket

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stem — to come from
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — to push
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. calf — of the leg

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