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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wind — moving air
  4. branch — a division
  5. rash — a series
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rash — hasty
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mate — to breed
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cabinet — ministers

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