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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. branch — a division
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. toast — bread
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wind — moving air
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — a list
  13. wind — moving air
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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