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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bank — for money
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bank — of a river
  6. season — of the year
  7. roll — a list
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ground — crushed
  10. season — in sport
  11. wind — moving air
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wind — moving air
  17. suit — to fit
  18. ground — the earth
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bank — for money
  23. roll — a cake
  24. straw — a straw man

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