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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 116 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: staff · suit · row · cell · bay · wake · dip · branch

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. suit — to fit
  3. staff — employees
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cell — in biology
  7. row — a line
  8. cell — a phone
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wake — a trail
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. staff — employees
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. suit — in cards
  20. branch — a division
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. row — to paddle
  24. suit — clothes

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