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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 124 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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. bank — for money
  4. drill — army training
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — of ice
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bank — for money
  17. face — to confront
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. face — part of the head
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. drill — a practice
  22. squash — to crush
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lie — to recline

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