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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 · mark · bank · arm · field · wake · cue · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bank — for money
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. field — a subject
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cue — a hint
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. branch — a division
  19. mark — a trace
  20. field — for sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. field — farmland
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cue — a signal

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