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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bass · mark · hand · leaves · key · can · tear · cue

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tear — from crying
  3. hand — in cards
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bass — low music
  8. mark — a trace
  9. can — to be able to
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mark — a grade
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. tear — to rip
  17. can — a tin
  18. key — the most important part
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. key — for a lock
  23. hand — help
  24. key — in music

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