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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bank — for money
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fall — to drop
  12. roll — a list
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bank — for money
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. roll — a cake
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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