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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — a hat
  4. staff — employees
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. staff — employees
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. staff — a stick
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. firm — a company
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. row — a line
  16. wake — a trail
  17. row — to paddle
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cap — of ice
  20. swing — to play on
  21. firm — steady
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. firm — decided

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