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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cap — a lid
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rest — a break
  24. bank — for money

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