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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bank — for money
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. court — of law
  7. stand — to bear
  8. object — an aim
  9. bank — of a river
  10. snap — to click
  11. object — a thing
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bank — for money
  17. tear — from crying
  18. court — of a king
  19. net — after costs
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. object — to protest
  22. court — for sport
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. tear — from crying

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