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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: foot · mug · bear · cold · fan · ground · bank · coach

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bank — for money
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cold — not warm
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mug — a face
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ground — a position
  23. cold — an illness
  24. ground — the earth

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