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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. drill — army training
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bank — for money
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cue — a signal

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