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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: wake · branch · date · present · clip · row · dip · foot

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. branch — a division
  5. present — there
  6. foot — a measure
  7. row — to paddle
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. date — the fruit
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. row — a line
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. present — a gift
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — a video
  23. present — the time now
  24. clip — for paper

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