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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: rush · cue · pop · cell · leaves · branch · capital · safe

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pop — music
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pop — soda
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rush — hurry
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cue — a signal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. capital — a city
  19. pop — to visit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cue — a hint
  22. capital — money
  23. cell — in biology
  24. safe — out of danger

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