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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mark — a trace
  5. suit — clothes
  6. race — humankind
  7. content — the amount
  8. mark — a grade
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cue — a signal
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. present — the time now
  16. cue — for pool
  17. race — a contest
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. present — a gift
  20. suit — in cards
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. present — there
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. race — the arms race

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