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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mate — a friend
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. root — of a word
  6. branch — a division
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rule — a law
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. cue — a hint
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. mate — a partner
  18. shower — rain
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. shower — to wash
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. branch — of a tree

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