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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: cap · bank · squash · row · lie · sharp · object · rush

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. bank — for money
  2. cap — a hat
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. object — an aim
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bank — for money
  17. object — to protest
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. lie — to recline
  21. sharp — clever
  22. object — a thing
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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