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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cap — a hat
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. plane — a tool
  7. lean — thin
  8. cue — a signal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cue — for pool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. branch — a division
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pop — soda
  16. lean — to bend
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pop — music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cap — of ice
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pitcher — a jug

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