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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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Word bank
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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: branch · can · straw · cue · staff · ruler

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cue — for pool
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. can — a tin
  11. staff — a stick
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cue — a signal
  14. staff — employees
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. straw — a straw man

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