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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cap — of ice
  3. season — in sport
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bank — for money
  9. season — of the year
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cap — a lid
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rock — music
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cold — not warm
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bank — for money
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chair — a leader

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