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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: branch · hide · snap · rock · toast · cue · pit · wake

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cue — a hint
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wake — a trail
  9. branch — a division
  10. snap — to click
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. toast — bread
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cue — a signal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pit — a hole
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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