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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. wake — a trail
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. spell — a short time
  16. tear — to rip
  17. spell — magic
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. spell — letters
  20. cue — a signal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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