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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fall — the season
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bank — for money
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cap — of ice
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bank — of a river
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fall — to drop

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