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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. present — the time now
  4. branch — a division
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stem — to come from
  14. present — there
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. present — a gift
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. dip — to sink

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