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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — a lid
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — in music
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bank — of a river
  18. face — to confront
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. face — to point toward
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. face — part of the head

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