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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: stick · cold · net · cue · season · bank · wound · rash

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. net — for catching
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. cue — for pool
  6. season — of the year
  7. net — after costs
  8. bank — for money
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wound — an injury
  13. season — in sport
  14. net — in sport
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rash — a series
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cold — not warm
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bank — for money

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