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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mark — a grade
  3. snap — to click
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bank — of a river
  6. content — happy
  7. cue — a signal
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. file — a tool
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. dip — to sink
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mark — a trace
  17. file — a document
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rush — hurry
  21. content — the amount
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. dip — to dunk

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