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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. present — there
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. present — a gift
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hand — help
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bank — for money
  14. ball — a dance
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bank — of a river
  17. tear — to rip
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bank — for money
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. present — the time now
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spell — magic

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