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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · branch · patient · tube · stem · temple · spell · craft

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. spell — letters
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. craft — a skill
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stem — to come from
  10. branch — a division
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. swing — music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — the underground
  18. spell — magic
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. tube — a container
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spell — a short time
  24. stem — of a plant

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