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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: cap · nail · lean · kick · march · bank · club · trunk

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. march — music
  3. cap — a lid
  4. club — a group
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bank — for money
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. kick — in football
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. club — for golf
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. club — for dancing
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lean — thin
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. march — the month
  19. lean — to bend
  20. march — the month
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. lean — to rest against

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