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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. spell — a short time
  8. season — in sport
  9. land — ground
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. branch — a division
  15. spell — letters
  16. land — a country
  17. chest — of your body
  18. land — to come down
  19. spell — magic
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. chest — a box
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. arm — a part of something

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