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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. board — to get on
  3. net — after costs
  4. rest — what's left
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rest — a break
  10. net — in sport
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. board — a committee
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rest — what's left
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — for catching
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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