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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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Word bank
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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: firm · clip · mine · cue · branch · ruler · leaves · bulb

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cue — a hint
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — a signal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. firm — decided
  17. branch — a division
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. clip — a video
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. clip — for paper
  22. firm — a company
  23. cue — for pool
  24. clip — to cut

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