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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: hide · cabinet · track · branch · spell · cue

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. branch — a division
  12. spell — a short time
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. cue — a hint
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. track — to keep track

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