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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: hand · coach · stem · nail · stick · content · branch · temple

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. content — happy
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stem — to come from
  12. hand — in cards
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. branch — a division
  15. content — the amount
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. hand — help
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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