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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 116 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 water is too ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. mark — a trace
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bank — for money
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. mug — a face
  11. cue — a signal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bank — for money
  19. pound — a weight
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cue — for pool
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mark — a grade
  24. dip — a sauce

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