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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. march — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cold — an illness
  8. spell — letters
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. spell — magic
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cold — not warm
  18. date — the fruit
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. hand — help
  21. spell — a short time
  22. hand — in cards
  23. toast — bread
  24. ruler — for measuring

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