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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: staff · rush · court · stick · cold · bank · lie · can

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. court — of law
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. court — of a king
  6. bank — for money
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. can — a tin
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bank — of a river
  15. can — a tin
  16. rush — hurry
  17. staff — employees
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bank — for money
  21. staff — employees
  22. court — for sport
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lie — to recline

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