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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 116 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ball — a dance
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. branch — a division
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. press — newspapers
  18. kid — to tease
  19. press — a publisher
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ball — a great time
  22. tear — from crying
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. press — to push

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