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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bank — for money
  8. staff — employees
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bank — of a river
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bank — for money
  24. staff — employees

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