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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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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: branch · stem · lie · fine · foot · drill · roll · track

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. drill — the tool
  3. track — a path
  4. drill — army training
  5. fine — high quality
  6. branch — a division
  7. roll — a list
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. roll — a cake
  14. track — to keep track
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. drill — a practice
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. track — a song

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