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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bank — for money
  6. rock — a stone
  7. current — electric
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. current — of water
  11. wind — moving air
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. current — happening now
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wind — moving air
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hide — animal skin

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