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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bound — obliged
  4. branch — a division
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rush — hurry
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bound — certain
  12. bank — for money
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bank — for money
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rush — a thrill

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