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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: cabinet · bank · dip · track · coach · season · cold · row

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cold — an illness
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cold — not warm
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. season — of the year
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. season — in sport
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. track — a song
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. dip — to sink
  23. row — a line
  24. track — to keep track

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