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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. branch — a division
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cue — a hint
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. hand — help

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