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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: object · dip · bank · date · fan · mouse · cold · game

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cold — not warm
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. object — a thing
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. object — to protest
  11. game — a match
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. date — the fruit
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bank — for money
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bank — for money
  19. object — an aim
  20. game — wild animals
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mouse — the animal

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