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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bank — for money
  4. charge — a price
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stand — to bear
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. swing — music
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. swing — to play on
  14. present — there
  15. cold — not warm
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bank — for money
  19. charge — in control
  20. bank — of a river
  21. present — the time now
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. present — a gift

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