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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: deal · toast · cue · content · calf · fall · mine · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cue — for pool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fall — to drop
  6. deal — to handle
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. toast — bread
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bank — for money
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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