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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bank — for money
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. hand — help
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rest — a break
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bear — the animal

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