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

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fine — all right
  3. bank — for money
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bank — for money
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mug — a face
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cue — for pool
  16. branch — a division
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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