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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bank — for money
  4. can — to be able to
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rush — hurry
  9. can — a tin
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. tube — a container
  15. pop — music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bank — for money
  19. cold — not warm
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. can — a tin

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