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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bank — for money
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pass — a permit
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. band — a music group
  11. bank — for money
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tear — to rip
  14. band — a ring
  15. cold — an illness
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ball — a dance
  23. tear — from crying
  24. calf — a young animal

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