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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rest — what's left
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rest — a break
  7. bank — for money
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. present — there
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pound — a weight
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. present — a gift
  21. bank — for money
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. present — the time now

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