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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 the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bank — for money
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bank — for money
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cap — of ice
  10. deal — to handle
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. cold — not warm
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. cap — a hat
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. row — a line
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cap — a lid

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