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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. land — ground
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. can — a tin
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. shower — to wash
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — to come down
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. land — a country
  12. squash — to crush
  13. can — a tin
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bank — of a river
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bank — for money
  24. shower — rain

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