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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 120 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stand — to bear
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bank — for money
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fork — in a road
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. snap — to click
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tube — a container

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