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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. present — the time now
  5. roll — a list
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cue — a signal
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cue — a hint
  15. dip — to sink
  16. branch — a division
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mine — for digging
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. roll — a cake
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. branch — of a bank

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