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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cue — a signal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. cue — for pool
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. toast — bread
  16. deal — to handle
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cold — not warm
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. sharp — clever
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cue — a hint
  24. kick — a thrill

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