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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bank — for money
  5. cold — an illness
  6. track — a song
  7. rest — what's left
  8. track — a path
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. spell — magic
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rock — music
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. staff — employees
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. bank — for money
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bank — of a river
  24. spell — letters

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