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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. hand — help
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bank — for money
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. hand — in cards
  19. file — a document
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rock — music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rock — to move gently

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