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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: trunk · key · snap · branch · lean · bat · mate · stem

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bat — the animal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. key — for a lock
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mate — a friend
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. branch — a division
  21. key — in music
  22. lean — thin
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mate — to breed

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