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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bank — for money
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cold — not warm
  9. race — a contest
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lie — to recline
  12. race — humankind
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bank — for money
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bank — of a river
  24. swing — in golf

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