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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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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: chair · trunk · spring · hide · snap · cue · bank · fan

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bank — for money
  7. spring — of water
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. spring — the season
  13. bank — for money
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bank — of a river
  17. snap — to click
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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