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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. swing — music
  2. bank — for money
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bank — of a river
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rash — a series
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cold — not warm
  12. staff — employees
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. staff — employees
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bank — for money
  20. snap — to click
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. swing — in golf
  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