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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wake — a trail
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. fall — the season
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fall — to drop
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. perch — the fish
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cap — a hat

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