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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bank — for money
  3. snap — to click
  4. fine — high quality
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fine — all right
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — a lid
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cap — of ice
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cap — a hat
  23. spell — letters
  24. fork — in a road

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