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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bass — low music
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bank — for money
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chair — a leader
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bank — of a river
  18. key — the most important part
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rash — a series
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bank — for money
  23. last — final
  24. key — for a lock

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