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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · file · cue · branch · rest · deal

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. branch — a division
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cue — for pool
  5. file — a tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cell — a phone
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cue — a hint
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. file — a document
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cell — in biology

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