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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: bank · mate · bore · suit · hide · cold · pop · cue

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pop — to visit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mate — a partner
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pop — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cue — a signal
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pop — soda
  20. bank — for money
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bore — to tire
  24. hide — animal skin

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