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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: chip · foot · stem · dip · fall · branch · track · last

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. last — to go on
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. foot — a measure
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fall — the season
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. chip — to eat
  11. last — finally
  12. branch — a division
  13. stem — to come from
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. last — final
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fall — to drop
  20. dip — to sink
  21. track — a path
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fall — to drop

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