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

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. track — a path
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bank — for money
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bank — for money
  9. pop — music
  10. board — to get on
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fall — the season
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. pop — soda
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cap — of ice
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pop — to visit
  24. track — a song

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