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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. content — happy
  4. bank — for money
  5. staff — employees
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. spring — the season
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bank — of a river
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. content — the amount
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — the fish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spring — of water
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — low music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. spring — a coil

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