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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: rush · dip · cue · chair · board · spell · branch · lean

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lean — to bend
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rush — hurry
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cue — for pool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. branch — a division
  15. board — a committee
  16. dip — to sink
  17. lean — thin
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cue — a signal
  20. spell — letters
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. spell — magic
  24. branch — of a bank

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