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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mug — a face
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bank — of a river
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bank — for money
  11. hand — in cards
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bark — to shout
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. hand — help
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bank — for money
  23. content — the amount
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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