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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rule — government
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bank — for money
  6. net — after costs
  7. chest — a box
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. net — for catching
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rule — a law
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bank — for money
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — in sport
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bank — of a river

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