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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wind — moving air
  3. capital — a city
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bank — for money
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a ring
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. capital — money
  15. last — finally
  16. cap — a hat
  17. last — final
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. band — a music group
  22. last — to go on
  23. wind — moving air
  24. nail — on a finger

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