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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: cue · tear · bark · straw · branch · safe · wake · chair

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bark — to shout
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cue — a signal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — a trail
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. tear — from crying
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. chair — a leader

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