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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 120 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 · bowl · perch · stick · nail · lash · stem · dip

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — to sink
  14. branch — a division
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. perch — the fish
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. nail — for a hammer

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