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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stock — goods
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cell — in biology
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. clip — to cut
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. current — happening now
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. suit — to fit
  17. branch — a division
  18. current — electric
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stock — shares
  21. clip — for paper
  22. current — of water
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. clip — a video

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