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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: can · spring · object · cue · dip · roll · branch · rock

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. dip — to sink
  5. spring — a coil
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. can — a tin
  9. cue — a signal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. object — an aim
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. spring — the season
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rock — music
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cue — a hint
  20. roll — a list
  21. object — a thing
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. can — a tin
  24. object — to protest

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