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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bank — for money
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fork — in a road
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fine — all right
  14. bank — for money
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball

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