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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. chip — for betting
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — for money
  12. chest — a box
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ground — a position
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bank — for money

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