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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. cue — for pool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bank — for money
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bank — for money
  21. cue — a hint
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cue — a signal
  24. leaves — of a tree

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