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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · firm · fall · bank · rule · cap

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bank — of a river
  3. firm — decided
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rule — a law
  11. bank — for money
  12. rule — government
  13. bank — for money
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fall — to drop

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