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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bass — low music
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bank — for money
  6. charge — a price
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. charge — in control
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bank — for money
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mug — a cup

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