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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.

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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: mate · cabinet · lean · kid · bank · cue · track · ball

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bank — for money
  4. cue — a hint
  5. lean — thin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cue — a signal
  9. track — a path
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bank — for money
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ball — a dance
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. track — a song
  19. lean — to bend
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — child
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bank — of a river

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