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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. snap — to click
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. staff — employees
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bank — of a river
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bank — for money
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. staff — a stick
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bank — for money
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bulb — for light
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bulb — for light
  23. staff — employees
  24. cold — not warm

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