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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 · saw · key · rest · cold · bank · dip · band

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. band — a music group
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bank — for money
  6. cap — of ice
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cap — a hat
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cap — a lid
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a ring
  18. rest — what's left
  19. saw — the tool
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rest — a break
  22. cold — an illness
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bank — for money

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