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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 120 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: saw · spell · snap · hand · cue · cabinet · patient · bank

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hand — help
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spell — magic
  9. cue — a signal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bank — of a river
  12. spell — letters
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bank — for money
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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