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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rock — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bank — of a river
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. press — to push
  12. firm — a company
  13. cap — a hat
  14. firm — steady
  15. rock — a stone
  16. press — newspapers
  17. lean — to bend
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lean — thin
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. firm — decided
  24. pitcher — a jug

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