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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cue — a signal
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. tube — a container
  7. bank — for money
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bat — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. bank — of a river
  15. can — to be able to
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. firm — decided
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cue — a hint
  20. tube — the underground
  21. can — a tin
  22. fall — the season
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cue — for pool

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