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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spring — a coil
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pop — to visit
  10. spring — of water
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mark — a grade
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. spring — the season
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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