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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bank — for money
  8. clip — for paper
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. spell — a short time
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. spell — magic
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. clip — a video
  18. spell — letters
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bank — for money
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. chair — a leader

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