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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bank — for money
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bank — for money
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stock — shares
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rock — music
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bound — certain
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bound — obliged
  21. face — to confront
  22. stock — goods
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mug — a face

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