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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: wave · toast · kick · court · chest · cabinet · cue · branch

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. kick — in football
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. court — of law
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chest — a box
  14. toast — bread
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cue — a hint
  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