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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 120 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fall — the season
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. key — in music
  12. pit — a hole
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. kid — child
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. tube — the underground
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — a permit
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. key — for a lock
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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