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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: dip · wind · foot · saw · shower · can · branch · chair

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wind — moving air
  4. saw — the tool
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chair — a leader
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. can — a tin
  10. shower — rain
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. can — to be able to
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. shower — to wash
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wind — moving air
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. can — a tin
  24. chair — to sit on

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