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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: dip · roll · cabinet · staff · cue · sharp · race · branch

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. staff — employees
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — a division
  8. staff — employees
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. race — the arms race
  12. dip — to sink
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cue — a hint
  15. sharp — clever
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. staff — a stick
  18. cue — a signal
  19. roll — a cake
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — a contest

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