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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fall — to drop
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fall — the season
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. drill — the tool
  11. squash — to crush
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fall — to drop
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. drill — army training
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bank — for money

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