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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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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 · prune · wind · nail · cap · scale · suit · last

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cap — a lid
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bank — for money
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — final
  16. scale — in music
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. wind — moving air
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cap — of ice
  24. scale — size or range

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