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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bank — for money
  5. bound — tied together
  6. season — in sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. season — of the year
  11. land — ground
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mark — a trace
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. land — to come down
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bank — for money
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. land — a country
  24. fine — all right

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