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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. object — a thing
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stem — to come from
  7. content — happy
  8. branch — a division
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. content — the amount
  15. court — for sport
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. object — to protest
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. object — an aim
  21. court — of a king
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. court — of law
  24. nail — on a finger

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