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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. squash — the sport
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. squash — to crush
  16. saw — the tool
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. saw — the tool
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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