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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: lie · track · bank · hand · cue · safe · wind · pit

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pit — a hole
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bank — for money
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bank — of a river
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. hand — help
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. track — a path
  21. bank — for money
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. hand — in cards

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