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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. net — in sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. spell — magic
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. dip — to sink
  11. net — after costs
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. hand — in cards
  14. spell — letters
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. net — for catching
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. hand — help
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. branch — of a tree

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