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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: bear · fork · cold · current · scale · bank · wound · rush

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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 — the Cold War
  2. current — happening now
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bank — for money
  6. wound — an injury
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cold — not warm
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. cold — an illness
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bear — the animal
  20. current — electric
  21. rush — hurry
  22. scale — in music
  23. current — of water
  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