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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wind — moving air
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bank — for money
  13. board — to get on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. board — a committee
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lie — an untruth

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