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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · cue · pop · track · bank · fan · cabinet · cold

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cold — an illness
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bank — for money
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cue — a hint
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cold — not warm
  11. pop — soda
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. kick — in football
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pop — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cue — a signal
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bank — for money
  23. track — a path
  24. cabinet — ministers

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