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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. track — a song
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bound — tied together
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bound — obliged
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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