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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. net — in sport
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. face — to point toward
  13. net — after costs
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bank — for money
  17. ball — a dance
  18. face — part of the head
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bank — of a river
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. net — for catching
  24. face — to confront

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