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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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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cue — for pool
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wax — to grow
  6. branch — a division
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cue — a hint
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. cue — a signal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. snap — to click
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rush — a thrill

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