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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 · row · swing · cell · rash · bank · mark · leaves

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mark — a grade
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. row — a line
  5. swing — to play on
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. swing — music
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bank — for money
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mark — a trace
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bank — of a river

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