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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cold · band · perch · hide · rush · bank · staff · net

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. staff — a stick
  3. perch — the fish
  4. band — a ring
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bank — for money
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cold — not warm
  9. net — in sport
  10. staff — employees
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. net — for catching
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. band — a music group
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rush — hurry
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. net — after costs
  21. bank — for money
  22. staff — employees
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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