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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: branch · stem · wake · mine · bear · cell · foot · nail

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. branch — a division
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wake — a trail
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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