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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. last — finally
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bank — for money
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bank — of a river
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bound — certain
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cell — in biology
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cell — a phone
  15. roll — a list
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. last — to go on
  19. bank — for money
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. last — final
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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