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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bank — for money
  6. fall — the season
  7. pop — music
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bank — for money
  12. net — for catching
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pop — soda
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. snap — to click
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wake — before a funeral

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