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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bank — for money
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. firm — steady
  5. lie — to recline
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bank — of a river
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cold — an illness
  11. firm — a company
  12. pound — a weight
  13. snap — to click
  14. bank — for money
  15. race — humankind
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. race — a contest
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. firm — decided
  23. cold — not warm
  24. lie — an untruth

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