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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
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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: kid · stem · drill · dip · face · branch · scale · roll

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. roll — a list
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. face — to confront
  9. dip — to sink
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. drill — army training
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. scale — in music
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. scale — size or range
  19. drill — a practice
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. kid — child
  22. stem — to come from
  23. face — part of the head
  24. branch — a division

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