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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 120 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. dip — to sink
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. branch — a division
  8. rule — government
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rule — a law
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. chest — a box
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. foot — a measure
  17. capital — a city
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pop — music
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pop — soda
  24. capital — money

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