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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 116 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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. can — a tin
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. land — to come down
  11. bank — for money
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. land — a country
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — a tin
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bank — for money
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. land — ground

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