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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rash — hasty
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bank — for money
  6. rash — a series
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bank — for money
  9. chip — for betting
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. chip — to eat
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bank — of a river

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