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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mark — a trace
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cell — in biology
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rash — a series
  14. mark — a grade
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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