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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — a thing
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. object — an aim
  6. tube — a container
  7. club — for dancing
  8. object — to protest
  9. lie — to recline
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. club — for golf
  16. plane — a tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. club — a group

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