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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: nail · cell · ball · present · branch · stem · shower · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. ball — a dance
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. present — there
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fine — high quality
  12. present — the time now
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. shower — rain
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fine — all right
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. present — a gift
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stem — to come from
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. branch — a division

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