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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: chip · dip · roll · stem · wind · branch · trunk · chest

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. chip — to eat
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chest — a box
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. branch — a division
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. wind — moving air
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chest — of your body
  14. roll — a list
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chip — for betting
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stem — to come from
  24. roll — a cake

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