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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. branch — a division
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fine — high quality
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rock — a stone
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rock — music
  19. chest — a box
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bark — to shout

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