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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. branch — a division
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mate — a partner
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. root — the cause
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cue — for pool
  17. root — of a word
  18. wake — a trail
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pit — in a race
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wake — before a funeral

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