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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fork — in a road
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bank — of a river
  7. tube — the underground
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bank — for money
  10. prune — to trim
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bank — for money
  14. ground — a position
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. dip — to sink
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ground — the earth
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. ground — crushed
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. tube — a container

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