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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: stem · track · chair · dip · chip · temple · last · branch

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chair — a leader
  6. stem — to come from
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. track — a song
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. track — a path
  17. last — finally
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. last — final
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. dip — to dunk

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