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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wind — moving air
  5. band — a music group
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fork — in a road
  8. suit — clothes
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. press — to push
  11. bank — for money
  12. pit — in a race
  13. band — a ring
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bank — of a river
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bank — for money
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pit — a hole

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