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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: shower · cue · dip · branch · can · squash · sharp · scale

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. dip — to sink
  3. sharp — clever
  4. shower — rain
  5. scale — in music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cue — for pool
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cue — a hint
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. squash — the sport
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. scale — size or range
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. can — a tin
  20. cue — a signal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. shower — to wash
  23. can — to be able to
  24. branch — a division

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