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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stand — to bear
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. season — in sport
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. race — humankind
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. race — a contest
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — thin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. race — the arms race
  22. season — of the year
  23. cold — an illness
  24. season — to add flavour

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