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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bank — for money
  7. bound — obliged
  8. can — a tin
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mug — a face
  13. branch — a division
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. can — a tin
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. hand — help
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bound — certain
  24. can — to be able to

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