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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: dip · cue · wake · nail · branch · bulb · press · band

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. band — a ring
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cue — a signal
  13. band — a music group
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cue — a hint
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bulb — for light
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. press — to push
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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