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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 120 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: wave · branch · cue · club · rash · coach · dip · bore

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cue — a signal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. club — for golf
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — a group
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bore — to tire
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rash — a series
  22. cue — for pool
  23. branch — a division
  24. wave — with your hand

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