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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. branch — a division
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rest — a break
  13. chest — of your body
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bound — certain
  17. chest — a box
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. season — of the year
  20. cue — for pool
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. season — in sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wake — before a funeral

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