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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bank — for money
  3. swing — music
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. swing — to play on
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pop — music
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pop — to visit
  13. chip — to eat
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bank — for money
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. swing — in golf
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rest — a break
  24. bank — of a river

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