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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · fall · cabinet · ruler · chest · coach · bank · deal

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bank — for money
  5. deal — to handle
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. chest — of your body
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fall — the season
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ruler — for measuring

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