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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. spell — magic
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. spell — letters
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bank — of a river
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bank — for money
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bound — certain
  17. spell — a short time
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bound — obliged
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. club — a group
  23. bank — for money
  24. bound — tied together

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