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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: bark · branch · cue · spring · firm · file · wave · pop

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pop — to visit
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pop — soda
  5. spring — the season
  6. cue — for pool
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pop — music
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. branch — a division
  15. firm — a company
  16. spring — of water
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. firm — steady
  23. bark — to shout
  24. firm — decided

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