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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: rest · squash · racket · branch · tube · tear · rock · cue

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. tear — from crying
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cue — a signal
  6. tube — a container
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rock — music
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. squash — the sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. squash — to crush
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rest — a break
  20. branch — a division
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  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