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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 116 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: saw · wind · content · ruler · board · cue · branch · cabinet

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — a division
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. board — a committee
  15. cue — a hint
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cue — for pool

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