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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. band — a music group
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bank — for money
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. band — a ring
  20. bank — for money
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. ruler — a monarch

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