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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. last — to go on
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. club — a group
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bank — for money
  10. club — for golf
  11. bank — of a river
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bank — for money
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. file — a line of people
  17. last — final
  18. file — a document
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. last — finally
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cold — an illness
  23. file — a tool
  24. face — to confront

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