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

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. 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. hide — animal skin
  2. bank — for money
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. land — to come down
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bank — for money
  13. chest — a box
  14. mark — a trace
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. land — ground
  19. game — a match
  20. pass — a permit
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cue — a signal
  23. land — a country
  24. 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