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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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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: fork · roll · cell · cue · bank · lean · safe · mark

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. lean — thin
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bank — for money
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mark — a grade
  7. roll — a list
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bank — for money
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mark — a trace
  13. roll — a cake
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bank — of a river
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. roll — on a roll

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