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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bound — obliged
  3. spring — the season
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. track — a path
  7. spring — of water
  8. press — newspapers
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — certain
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. press — to push
  14. spring — a coil
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bank — for money
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bank — for money
  19. track — a song
  20. mate — a partner
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mate — a friend
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bank — of a river

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