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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fall — the season
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — music
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bank — for money
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — for money
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. branch — a division

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