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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bank — for money
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bank — for money
  7. bound — certain
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. season — of the year
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. clip — a video
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. clip — to cut
  19. cap — of ice
  20. season — in sport
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. racket — for tennis

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