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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 116 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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pop — to visit
  3. spell — magic
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bark — to shout
  7. saw — the tool
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pop — soda
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. branch — a division
  15. spell — letters
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pop — music
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bound — certain
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bound — obliged
  24. spell — a short time

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