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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. bank — for money
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. staff — a stick
  6. rest — a break
  7. staff — employees
  8. track — a path
  9. cue — a hint
  10. staff — employees
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bank — for money
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bank — of a river
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. track — a song
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rest — what's left

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