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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 120 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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bank — for money
  14. cold — not warm
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fan — to cool the air

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