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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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Word bank
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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cue — for pool
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. row — a line
  9. wind — moving air
  10. snap — to click
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lie — to recline
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. branch — a division
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. row — to paddle

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