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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: wake · rest · deal · chip · branch · cue · content · bay

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. content — the amount
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rest — a break
  7. content — happy
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. branch — a division
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chip — for betting
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cue — a hint

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