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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: cabinet · mug · kick · band · shower · bank · cue · pit

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bank — for money
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mug — to rob
  6. band — a ring
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. shower — rain
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. shower — to wash
  14. band — a music group
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. cue — a signal
  19. kick — in football
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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