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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: foot · suit · bank · pass · cold · game · dip · lean

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bank — for money
  4. cold — not warm
  5. pass — a permit
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lean — thin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. suit — to fit
  14. dip — to sink
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bank — for money
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cold — an illness
  22. game — a match
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bank — of a river

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