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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bank — for money
  4. squash — to crush
  5. hand — help
  6. bank — of a river
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. dip — to sink
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mate — a friend
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. hand — in cards
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bank — for money
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. squash — the sport
  24. hand — part of the body

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