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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bank — for money
  4. last — finally
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. drill — the tool
  9. last — final
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. drill — army training
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bank — for money
  16. tube — a container
  17. chest — of your body
  18. last — to go on
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cap — a lid
  23. chest — a box
  24. pass — to succeed

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