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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spell — letters
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spell — a short time
  12. key — the most important part
  13. branch — a division
  14. shower — rain
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. key — in music
  19. spell — magic
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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