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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. dip — to sink
  3. net — in sport
  4. cue — for pool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. net — after costs
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. branch — a division
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. net — for catching
  12. firm — steady
  13. fall — to drop
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. firm — decided
  19. cue — a signal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. firm — a company
  22. fall — the season
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cue — a hint

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