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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: straw · stand · object · dip · stem · branch · bore · rash

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. object — a thing
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rash — hasty
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stem — to come from
  12. dip — to sink
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. branch — a division
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rash — a series
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. dip — a sauce

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