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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bank — for money
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bank — for money
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mug — a face
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wind — moving air

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