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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. can — a tin
  3. cap — a lid
  4. clip — a video
  5. mug — a cup
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bank — for money
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wake — a trail
  11. board — to get on
  12. scale — size or range
  13. can — a tin
  14. mug — a face
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mug — to rob
  18. clip — to cut
  19. scale — in music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. board — a committee

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