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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 116 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. hand — in cards
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bank — of a river
  13. hand — help
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bank — for money
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chair — a leader
  24. nail — for a hammer

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