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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bank — for money
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pound — a weight
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cap — a lid
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bank — of a river
  14. suit — to fit
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. cap — a hat
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bank — for money

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