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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pit — in a race
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. branch — a division
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pit — a hole
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. drill — army training
  16. wake — a trail
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. dip — to sink

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