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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: fall · arm · pitcher · can · snap · cap · saw · bank

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. can — to be able to
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. can — a tin
  8. fall — the season
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cap — a hat
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. fall — to drop
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bank — of a river

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