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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 120 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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. branch — a division
  3. dip — to sink
  4. file — a document
  5. cue — a signal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. charge — a price
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. file — a line of people
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cue — for pool
  15. key — the most important part
  16. row — a line
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. file — a tool
  21. row — to paddle
  22. key — in music
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. dip — to dunk

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