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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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Word bank
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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. can — a tin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. scale — in music
  8. can — a tin
  9. cue — a hint
  10. can — to be able to
  11. branch — a division
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. scale — size or range
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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