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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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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: sharp · net · suit · roll · kick · bank · cold · jam

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. sharp — clever
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. kick — in football
  5. roll — a list
  6. cold — not warm
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. net — in sport
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bank — for money
  15. suit — in cards
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. suit — clothes
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bank — for money
  24. kick — with a leg

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