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

Word bank: row · rule · cold · face · wax · bank · season · stick

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bank — for money
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rule — a law
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rule — government
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. row — a line
  16. face — to confront
  17. season — in sport
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. face — to point toward
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cold — an illness
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rule — to rule out

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