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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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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. race — the arms race
  5. scale — in music
  6. race — a contest
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. present — there
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. present — the time now
  14. bank — for money
  15. present — a gift
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. race — humankind
  18. straw — dry grass

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