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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bank — for money
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hand — help
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bank — for money
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mark — a trace

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