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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bank — for money
  4. kid — child
  5. rest — what's left
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pound — a weight
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stock — shares
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bank — for money
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stock — goods
  18. bound — obliged
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bound — certain
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rest — a break

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