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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stem — to come from
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. degree — an amount
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rush — hurry
  8. current — happening now
  9. fall — to drop
  10. board — a committee
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. branch — a division
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fall — the season
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. current — of water
  20. board — to get on
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fall — to drop
  23. current — electric
  24. board — a flat piece

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