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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rock — a stone
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cue — a hint
  6. branch — a division
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. snap — to click
  12. shower — rain
  13. pit — a hole
  14. roll — a list
  15. rock — music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. roll — a cake
  19. cue — a signal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. chair — a professorship

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