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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. toast — bread
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bore — to drill
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bank — of a river
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bank — for money
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. last — to go on

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