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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bank — for money
  6. bass — low music
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fall — the season
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bank — for money
  15. fall — to drop
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fork — to eat with

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