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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bank — for money
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fall — the season
  12. perch — the fish
  13. swing — in golf
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. board — a committee
  16. bank — of a river
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — to get on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fall — to drop
  24. board — a flat piece

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