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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pitch — completely
  5. row — to paddle
  6. branch — a division
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wake — a trail
  9. march — the month
  10. cue — a signal
  11. march — the month
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. cue — for pool
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. march — music
  20. shower — to wash
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. row — a line
  24. mark — to pay attention

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