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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bank — of a river
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bank — for money
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. file — a document
  10. mug — to rob
  11. file — a tool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mug — a face
  18. cold — not warm
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. file — a line of people
  22. hand — help
  23. mug — a cup
  24. hand — in cards

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