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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bank — for money
  4. bound — certain
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bound — obliged
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bank — of a river

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