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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — a gift
  3. cap — a hat
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cap — of ice
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lean — to bend
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bank — for money
  13. present — there
  14. lean — thin
  15. craft — boats
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. present — the time now
  21. key — in music
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bank — of a river

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