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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bound — certain
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — of ice
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. firm — steady
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bank — of a river
  19. firm — a company
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. firm — decided
  22. bank — for money
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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