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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cap — of ice
  3. spring — a coil
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. spring — of water
  11. cap — a hat
  12. drill — army training
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wind — moving air
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spring — the season
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bank — of a river
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. craft — a skill

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