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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · stem · chip · rest · bass · branch · roll · toast

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rest — a break
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rest — what's left
  6. branch — a division
  7. stem — to come from
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. chip — for betting
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. toast — bread
  12. rest — what's left
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bass — the fish
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. roll — a list
  22. bass — low music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wind — moving air

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