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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bank — for money
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cue — a hint
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bank — of a river
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. prune — to trim
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lie — to recline
  23. dip — to sink
  24. squash — to crush

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