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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bank — for money
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bear — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. drill — army training

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