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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. branch — a division
  3. staff — employees
  4. march — the month
  5. staff — a stick
  6. march — the month
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. march — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rest — what's left
  17. board — a committee
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rest — a break
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. board — to get on
  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