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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mark — a trace
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. branch — a division
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. key — in music
  11. suit — in cards
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cue — a signal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cue — for pool
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mark — a grade
  21. key — the most important part
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — of water
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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