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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. craft — boats
  6. tear — to rip
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cue — a signal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cell — a phone
  16. tear — from crying
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bowl — a football final

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