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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bank — of a river
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cap — a hat
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cap — of ice
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mark — a trace
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — a lid
  24. saw — the tool

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