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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. swing — music
  4. fork — in a road
  5. staff — a stick
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cold — an illness
  8. fine — all right
  9. cold — not warm
  10. tube — a container
  11. fine — high quality
  12. staff — employees
  13. bank — of a river
  14. spell — magic
  15. swing — in golf
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. spell — letters
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bank — for money
  24. swing — to play on

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