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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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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: dip · wake · branch · bore · coach · cue · cell · spring

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. branch — a division
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. spring — the season
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cell — a phone
  15. spring — of water
  16. dip — to sink
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cell — in biology
  22. wake — a trail
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cue — for pool

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