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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bank — for money
  3. staff — employees
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bank — of a river
  12. staff — a stick
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rash — hasty
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wind — moving air
  20. staff — employees
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bank — for money

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