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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bank — of a river
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cue — a hint
  9. face — to point toward
  10. tube — a container
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bank — for money
  13. file — a tool
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bank — for money
  16. face — part of the head
  17. file — a document
  18. cue — for pool
  19. face — to confront
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hand — help
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cue — a signal

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