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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. swing — to play on
  7. tear — from crying
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. swing — music
  14. cue — a hint
  15. hand — help
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cue — a signal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. branch — a division
  23. hand — in cards
  24. tear — to rip

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