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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. sharp — clever
  3. branch — a division
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. spring — of water
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rest — a break
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. spring — a coil
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cue — a hint
  18. spring — the season
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cue — a signal

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