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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bank — for money
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. face — part of the head
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. hand — help
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bank — of a river
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. face — to confront
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bank — for money
  20. cue — a hint
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stand — to bear

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