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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. object — an aim
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bank — for money
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bank — for money
  8. staff — employees
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. file — a document
  11. rash — a series
  12. cold — an illness
  13. object — to protest
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. staff — a stick
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. file — a tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — a thing

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