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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rest — a break
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spring — of water
  8. bank — for money
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. firm — decided
  13. bank — of a river
  14. firm — a company
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rest — what's left
  17. firm — steady
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. spring — the season
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. can — a tin
  23. bank — for money
  24. can — to be able to

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