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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: fall · branch · band · rock · stem · wound · pit · dip

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. branch — a division
  3. fall — to drop
  4. band — a ring
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rock — music
  11. fall — the season
  12. wound — an injury
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pit — in a race
  17. dip — to sink
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pit — a hole
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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