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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.

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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: bank · last · arm · mark · sharp · deal · cap · saw

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bank — of a river
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. last — finally
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. last — final
  17. sharp — clever
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. last — to go on
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mark — to pay attention

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