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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 116 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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. key — in music
  15. stand — to bear
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. sharp — clever
  18. key — the most important part
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bank — for money
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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