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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. wake — a trail
  3. track — a path
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. spell — magic
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fall — the season
  15. bank — for money
  16. spell — letters
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. track — a song
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. spell — a short time
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wake — before a funeral

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