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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bank — for money
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. can — to be able to
  8. tube — the underground
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wind — moving air
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bank — of a river
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. can — a tin
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. bank — for money
  24. rock — to move gently

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