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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. band — a ring
  3. object — a thing
  4. saw — the tool
  5. degree — an amount
  6. object — to protest
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bank — for money
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — to recline
  13. degree — from a university
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bank — for money
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. band — a music group
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fork — in a road
  22. degree — temperature
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. object — an aim

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