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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. file — a document
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. file — a line of people
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cue — for pool
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. file — a tool
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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