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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bank — for money
  3. wound — an injury
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wound — an injury
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cap — a lid
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — ministers

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