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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. row — to paddle
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. hand — in cards
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bank — for money
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mug — a cup
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. march — music
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. march — the month
  19. cue — a hint
  20. march — the month
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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