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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 120 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 can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rest — a break
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bank — for money
  6. cue — a hint
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cue — a signal
  12. file — a tool
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bank — for money
  21. file — a document
  22. chip — for betting
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rest — what's left

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