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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cap — a lid
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. charge — electricity
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. charge — a price
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cap — of ice
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. charge — in control
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. branch — a division
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. snap — to click

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