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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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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: mine · cold · staff · bank · stand · track · wave · key

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bank — for money
  5. track — a path
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bank — for money
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. track — a song
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. cold — not warm
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cold — an illness
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cold — the Cold War

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