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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: squash · branch · wave · ruler · cue · present · can · tear

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. cue — for pool
  3. tear — to rip
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cue — a signal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. can — a tin
  12. squash — to crush
  13. can — to be able to
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. squash — the sport
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. can — a tin
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. branch — a division
  23. present — there
  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