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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 124 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. drill — army training
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rock — a stone
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bank — for money
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rock — music
  20. bank — of a river
  21. hand — help
  22. fine — all right
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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