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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. branch — a division
  11. file — a document
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cue — for pool
  15. file — a tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bound — tied together
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bound — certain
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bound — obliged
  24. cue — a signal

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