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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 116 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: bound · bank · fall · dip · rash · object · cap · tube

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. rash — hasty
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cap — of ice
  6. tube — the underground
  7. object — to protest
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fall — the season
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fall — to drop
  12. object — a thing
  13. tube — a container
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rash — a series
  16. cap — a hat
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bank — of a river
  20. object — an aim
  21. bank — for money
  22. bound — certain
  23. tube — in a tire
  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