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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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Word bank
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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: cap · dip · rush · cabinet · saw · last · field · bank

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cap — of ice
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. last — final
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bank — of a river
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. last — to go on
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cap — a lid
  16. field — farmland
  17. bank — for money
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bank — for money
  21. last — finally
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — hurry

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