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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bank — for money
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. chest — a box
  10. pass — a permit
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. lean — thin
  13. bass — low music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bank — for money
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lean — to bend
  19. branch — a division
  20. cap — a hat
  21. chest — of your body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bass — the instrument

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