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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bank — for money
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bank — for money
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chair — a leader
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cold — an illness
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. cold — not warm

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