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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cue — a hint
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stem — to come from
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. branch — a division
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. snap — to click
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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