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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. march — the month
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. hand — help
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. dip — to sink
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. march — the month
  19. prune — to trim
  20. march — music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bay — a horse colour

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