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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bank — for money
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bank — for money
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cold — not warm
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bat — for baseball

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