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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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. drill — army training
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — a short time
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. spell — letters
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. spell — magic
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bank — for money
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bank — of a river
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. straw — a straw man

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