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

Word bank: stand · branch · cell · coach · dip · fall · ruler · root

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. root — of a word
  3. stand — to bear
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cell — in biology
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cell — a phone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. root — the cause
  17. fall — to drop
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. branch — a division
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fall — the season
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. branch — of a tree

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