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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · saw · arm · ruler · rash · ball · cap · spring

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. spring — of water
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bank — of a river
  14. ball — a great time
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. spring — a coil
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — a series
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spring — the season
  21. bank — for money
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bank — for money

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