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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bank — of a river
  4. shower — rain
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bank — for money
  8. spring — a coil
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. spring — of water
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bear — the animal
  19. spring — the season
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bank — for money
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lie — an untruth

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