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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bat — the animal
  10. branch — a division
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. race — humankind
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. race — a contest
  20. firm — steady
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. staff — employees
  23. race — the arms race
  24. staff — employees

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