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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 116 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stem — to come from
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. dip — to sink
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. clip — for paper
  11. branch — a division
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. clip — a video
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. content — the amount

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