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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rock — a stone
  3. club — a group
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bank — of a river
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bank — for money
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. club — for dancing
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. club — for golf
  20. cold — not warm
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bank — for money

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