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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. land — a country
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mine — for digging
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. land — to come down
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. content — the amount
  18. bank — for money
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. land — ground
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. content — happy
  24. ruler — for measuring

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