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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bank — for money
  5. bound — obliged
  6. field — a subject
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bank — for money
  9. shower — to wash
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bank — of a river
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bound — certain
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — farmland
  19. clip — for paper
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bound — tied together
  22. clip — a video
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. field — for sport

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