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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. snap — to click
  3. march — the month
  4. net — after costs
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bank — for money
  8. lean — thin
  9. net — in sport
  10. cue — a hint
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. bank — of a river
  14. chip — to eat
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bank — for money
  21. cue — a signal
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. net — for catching

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