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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: rest · lie · branch · kick · cue · chair · drill · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. branch — a division
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rest — a break
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. drill — a practice
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chair — a leader
  19. drill — army training
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kick — in football
  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