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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bank — for money
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cold — an illness
  13. lean — thin
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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