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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bank — of a river
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fall — to drop
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. track — a song
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mine — for digging
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bank — for money
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spring — the season
  19. fall — the season
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. track — a path
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cue — a hint

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