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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 120 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 · bank · lean · cell · track · pass · cabinet · straw

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. track — a song
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bank — of a river
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bank — for money
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. track — a path
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bank — for money
  17. lean — thin
  18. cue — a hint
  19. track — to keep track
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cell — in biology

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