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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stem — to come from
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cue — a signal
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wake — a trail
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. deal — to handle
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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