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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. snap — to click
  4. fine — all right
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. land — a country
  7. cue — for pool
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. land — to come down
  10. bank — for money
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cue — a hint
  15. dip — to sink
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cue — a signal
  18. land — ground
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bank — for money
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bank — of a river
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. lean — to rest against

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