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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 120 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. firm — steady
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. firm — a company
  11. hand — in cards
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bank — of a river
  15. firm — decided
  16. bank — for money
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. perch — the fish

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