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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fine — high quality
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. spring — the season
  6. cap — of ice
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bank — for money
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. spring — of water
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fine — all right
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bank — of a river
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stock — goods
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cap — a hat

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