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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cap — a lid
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wake — a trail
  14. hand — in cards
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. bank — for money
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. hand — help
  20. cap — of ice
  21. object — a thing
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. saw — the tool

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