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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — to protest
  4. cap — a lid
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. object — a thing
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. object — an aim
  15. mark — a trace
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bank — of a river
  18. clip — to cut
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cap — of ice
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. clip — a video

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