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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — a hint
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. hand — in cards
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wound — an injury
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. cue — for pool
  13. hand — help
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. staff — employees
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wax — to grow

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