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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bank — for money
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. board — to get on
  19. cap — a lid
  20. board — a committee
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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