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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mate — to breed
  5. last — to go on
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. last — finally
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rest — a break
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. last — final
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — certain
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mate — a partner
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bound — obliged
  24. object — to protest

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