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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. craft — boats
  3. bank — for money
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bat — the animal
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rest — what's left
  11. branch — a division
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rest — a break
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bank — for money
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. craft — a skill
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mug — a face

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