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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bound — obliged
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cue — for pool
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — all right
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bound — tied together
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fine — high quality
  17. snap — to click
  18. bound — certain
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stem — to come from
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. cue — a hint
  24. branch — a division

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