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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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Word bank
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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: lean · cue · tube · bay · bank · pitcher · snap · hide

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bank — for money
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. snap — to click
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — a container
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hide — animal skin

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