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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mark — a grade
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. last — to go on
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cold — an illness
  13. mark — a trace
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. last — finally
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bank — for money
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. last — final
  24. hide — to keep secret

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