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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: foot · lie · game · cap · wind · snap · prune · bank

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wind — moving air
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lie — to recline
  10. snap — to click
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wind — moving air
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bank — for money
  15. cap — a lid
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bank — of a river
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. game — a match
  23. bank — for money
  24. prune — the fruit

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