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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 116 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: stem · branch · march · tube · wake · saw · hand · staff

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. march — the month
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tube — a container
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. march — music
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. wake — a trail
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. tube — the underground
  14. hand — help
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. march — the month
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stem — to come from
  22. branch — a division
  23. hand — in cards
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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