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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: stem · present · clip · stock · branch · suit · rule · dip

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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. stem — to come from
  4. suit — clothes
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rule — government
  7. stock — shares
  8. clip — to cut
  9. dip — to sink
  10. present — a gift
  11. branch — a division
  12. clip — a video
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rule — a law
  15. present — the time now
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. present — there
  20. clip — for paper
  21. stock — goods
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. stock — a soup base

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