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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. chair — a leader
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rock — music
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. rock — a stone
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. branch — a division
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. suit — to fit
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wake — a trail
  22. dip — to sink
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cue — a signal

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