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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cue — a signal
  3. branch — a division
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. content — the amount
  8. file — a document
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cue — for pool
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. file — a line of people
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. file — a tool
  23. content — happy
  24. rush — hurry

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