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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. can — a tin
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. present — there
  4. spring — of water
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. spring — a coil
  9. present — the time now
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. present — a gift
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. spring — the season
  14. bank — for money
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. can — a tin
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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