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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 120 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
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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: cold · rush · bank · wave · content · wake · hide · mark

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bank — for money
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. content — happy
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bank — for money
  15. cold — not warm
  16. content — the amount
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rush — hurry
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rush — a thrill

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