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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bank — for money
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bat — the animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cue — for pool
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bank — of a river
  15. can — a tin
  16. bank — for money
  17. can — a tin
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. cue — a hint
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. snap — to click

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