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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: kid · leaves · pit · deal · branch · staff · cue · straw

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. staff — employees
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pit — a hole
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pit — in a race
  13. kid — to tease
  14. staff — a stick
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. staff — employees
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cue — a hint
  21. branch — a division
  22. deal — to handle
  23. kid — child
  24. branch — of a tree

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