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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: bank · scale · fall · foot · cold · cap · wound · bore

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fall — the season
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bore — to drill
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bank — for money
  24. wound — an injury

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