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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — a division
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. spell — letters
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cue — for pool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mouse — the animal

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