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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · content · branch · hide · mouse · wound · firm · cue

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cue — a signal
  3. firm — steady
  4. content — the amount
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. firm — a company
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. branch — a division
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. firm — decided
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. cue — a hint

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