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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. branch — a division
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cue — a signal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. tear — to rip
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rule — a law
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. cue — a hint
  19. tear — from crying
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mark — a trace

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