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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. charge — electricity
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pass — a permit
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. tear — from crying
  12. can — to be able to
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. charge — in control
  15. bank — of a river
  16. charge — a price
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bank — for money
  19. can — a tin
  20. tear — to rip
  21. can — a tin
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cold — not warm

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