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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bank — for money
  3. cue — a hint
  4. object — to protest
  5. staff — employees
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. object — a thing
  8. season — in sport
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. season — of the year
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bank — for money
  14. staff — employees
  15. bank — of a river
  16. object — an aim
  17. cell — in biology
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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