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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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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. face — to confront
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. spring — of water
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. branch — a division
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. spring — a coil
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. face — part of the head
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cell — a phone
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cue — for pool
  21. spring — the season
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cell — in a prison

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