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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bank — for money
  3. net — in sport
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bank — for money
  7. content — happy
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bank — of a river
  11. net — for catching
  12. content — the amount
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. net — after costs
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. ruler — a monarch

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