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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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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: bowl · firm · cold · cue · spell · wake · saw · branch

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cue — for pool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cue — a signal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wake — a trail
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cold — an illness
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  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