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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cold — not warm
  4. pop — soda
  5. suit — in cards
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pop — music
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cold — an illness
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bank — for money
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. rash — hasty
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. suit — clothes
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pop — to visit

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