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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. cue — a signal
  3. ball — a great time
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. branch — a division
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. shower — rain
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chip — for betting

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