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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. cue — for pool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. tear — from crying
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. branch — a division
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pass — a permit
  21. date — the fruit
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chair — a leader

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