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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bank — of a river
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cold — an illness
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rash — hasty
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. rash — a series
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cold — not warm
  24. kick — in football

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