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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: date · safe · hide · bound · toast · stick · branch · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. date — the fruit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. branch — a division
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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