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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: branch · suit · cue · chest · plane · foot · dip · scale

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chest — a box
  4. cue — a signal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. suit — in cards
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chest — of your body
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. scale — in music
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. dip — to sink
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cue — a hint
  22. chest — of your body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. dip — a sauce

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