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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 120 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: bay · branch · charge · wake · foot · cue · straw · deal

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cue — a signal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. charge — in control
  6. wake — a trail
  7. charge — a price
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. deal — to handle
  14. foot — a measure
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cue — for pool
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cue — a hint
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. branch — a division

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