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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. bass — low music
  4. bank — of a river
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chest — of your body
  14. suit — to fit
  15. chest — a box
  16. suit — clothes
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. chest — of your body
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bass — the fish
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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