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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. object — to protest
  3. can — a tin
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. bank — for money
  7. spell — magic
  8. fine — all right
  9. rest — a break
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cold — not warm
  12. can — a tin
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bank — for money
  17. cold — an illness
  18. object — a thing
  19. cue — a signal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bank — of a river
  24. object — an aim

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