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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cold — not warm
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. dip — to sink
  7. club — for golf
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bank — for money
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bank — of a river
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bank — for money
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. club — a group
  24. wave — of the sea

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