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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: fork · tube · rule · saw · cue · band · bank · wind

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tube — a container
  4. rule — government
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rule — a law
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bank — for money
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. band — a ring

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