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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. pop — soda
  3. swing — in golf
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cold — an illness
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bank — for money
  10. swing — music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bank — of a river
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pop — music
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. pop — to visit
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pass — a permit
  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