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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. last — to go on
  4. prune — to trim
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cue — a signal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fall — the season
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bank — for money
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. branch — a division
  17. last — finally
  18. bank — of a river
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fall — to drop
  21. prune — to trim
  22. last — final
  23. fall — to drop
  24. tube — a container

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