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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rash — a series
  5. firm — steady
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bank — for money
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wound — an injury
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. firm — decided
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. snap — to click
  18. bank — of a river
  19. club — for golf
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pit — a hole
  23. firm — a company
  24. pit — in a race

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