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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. firm — decided
  3. lean — thin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — for money
  6. cold — not warm
  7. firm — a company
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bank — for money
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. roll — a cake
  14. firm — steady
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. lean — to bend
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. cold — an illness
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. nail — for a hammer

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