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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. march — music
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. dip — to sink
  9. prune — to trim
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. march — the month
  13. season — in sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. march — the month
  16. fall — to drop
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. prune — to trim
  23. season — of the year
  24. stem — to come from

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