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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cue — a signal
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. spring — the season
  13. bank — of a river
  14. cap — of ice
  15. spring — of water
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bank — for money
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cap — a lid

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