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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spell — a short time
  6. object — an aim
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. suit — clothes
  11. object — to protest
  12. suit — in cards
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bank — for money
  16. drill — army training
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — to bend
  19. drill — the tool
  20. lean — thin
  21. rash — a series
  22. suit — to fit
  23. object — a thing
  24. cold — an illness

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