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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 · chair · cell · kick · bank · lean · nail · wound

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bank — for money
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. cell — a phone
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. cell — in biology
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bank — for money
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wound — an injury

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