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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: net · present · cue · lean · mine · branch · deal · spring

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. net — after costs
  4. present — a gift
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. present — the time now
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mine — for digging
  10. spring — the season
  11. present — there
  12. spring — a coil
  13. net — for catching
  14. branch — a division
  15. cue — for pool
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lean — thin
  20. net — in sport
  21. spring — of water
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. lean — to bend

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