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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bank — for money
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bank — for money
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cold — not warm
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cold — an illness
  11. pass — a permit
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. charge — in control
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — of a river
  18. dip — a sauce

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