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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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stand — to bear
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. band — a ring
  17. bound — certain
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cold — an illness
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bank — for money
  22. cold — not warm
  23. band — a music group
  24. bound — tied together

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