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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bank — for money
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bank — for money
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rash — a series
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rash — hasty
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pop — music
  18. bark — to shout
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pop — soda
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. band — a ring
  23. pop — to visit
  24. band — a music group

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