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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: mug · suit · bear · rush · field · rule · bank · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rush — hurry
  7. field — for sport
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. field — a subject
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. field — farmland
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. rule — a law
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rule — government
  21. mug — a face
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. suit — in cards
  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