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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pop — music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pop — soda
  5. wind — moving air
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cap — a lid
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bank — of a river
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chest — a box
  17. bank — for money
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bank — for money
  20. drill — army training
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cap — a hat

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