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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cold — an illness
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. mug — a face
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bank — for money
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cold — not warm
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bank — for money
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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