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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bank — for money
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bank — for money
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. season — of the year
  10. bat — the animal
  11. foot — a measure
  12. cap — a hat
  13. charge — in control
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. season — in sport
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bank — of a river
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cap — a lid

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