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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: bank · snap · plane · bear · sharp · cold · rest · season

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bear — the animal
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. season — of the year
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. season — in sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rest — a break
  19. cold — an illness
  20. snap — to click
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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