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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
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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: suit · pitcher · face · bank · bound · kid · straw · cue

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. cue — a signal
  6. kid — child
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bank — of a river
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. bound — certain
  14. suit — clothes
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cue — a hint
  23. suit — in cards
  24. straw — a straw man

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