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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. net — after costs
  4. face — to confront
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. face — to point toward
  7. present — the time now
  8. net — for catching
  9. bank — of a river
  10. face — part of the head
  11. club — a group
  12. bank — for money
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. present — there
  20. net — in sport
  21. present — a gift
  22. bank — for money
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. club — for golf

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