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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bank — for money
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. sharp — clever
  9. staff — employees
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. staff — a stick
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bank — for money
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. tube — a container
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. staff — employees
  24. mine — for digging

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