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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mark — a trace
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bank — for money
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bass — the fish
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bank — for money
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to click
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bass — low music
  24. spell — magic

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