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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. key — in music
  5. branch — a division
  6. key — for a lock
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. ground — a position
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hand — help
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cue — for pool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cue — a hint
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. hide — animal skin

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