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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. tear — from crying
  4. key — for a lock
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pop — music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. chest — a box
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. key — the most important part
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. tear — to rip
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pop — soda
  18. key — in music
  19. bank — for money
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bank — for money
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chest — of your body
  24. leaves — lets stay

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