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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. clip — for paper
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. spring — of water
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bank — for money
  12. lie — to recline
  13. clip — a video
  14. spring — the season
  15. lean — to bend
  16. clip — to cut
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spring — a coil
  19. lean — thin
  20. bound — certain
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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