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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — not warm
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cap — a hat
  8. object — an aim
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. staff — employees
  11. object — a thing
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. object — to protest
  16. drill — a practice
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bank — of a river
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bank — for money
  23. staff — employees
  24. drill — army training

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