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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. tear — to rip
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bank — for money
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — a signal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. craft — a skill
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cold — an illness
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bank — for money
  17. tear — from crying
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cold — not warm
  20. craft — boats
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cue — for pool

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