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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bank — for money
  3. fine — all right
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. present — the time now
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. present — a gift
  12. bank — for money
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cell — in biology
  16. shower — rain
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bank — of a river
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. present — there
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rush — hurry

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