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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. field — a subject
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. content — happy
  10. field — for sport
  11. shower — rain
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bank — of a river
  15. field — farmland
  16. content — the amount
  17. shower — to wash
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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