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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: cue · bore · mine · branch · rest · plane · pop · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. rest — what's left
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rest — what's left
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rest — a break
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. firm — steady
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. branch — a division
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. firm — a company
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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