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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bank — of a river
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bank — for money
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fine — all right
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bank — for money
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. suit — clothes
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rash — a series
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wind — moving air

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