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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bank — of a river
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. press — to push
  9. season — in sport
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bank — for money
  13. press — a publisher
  14. season — of the year
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. dip — to sink
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hand — in cards
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. press — newspapers
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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