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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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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pop — soda
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pop — to visit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bank — for money
  10. firm — a company
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bank — of a river
  16. hand — help
  17. tear — from crying
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. game — a match
  21. tear — to rip
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bank — for money
  24. pop — music

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