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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cue — a hint
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mark — a grade
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bank — for money
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bank — of a river
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bank — for money
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bound — certain

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