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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. game — wild animals
  3. net — after costs
  4. bank — for money
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bank — of a river
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. net — for catching
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — a match
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mark — a trace
  21. net — in sport
  22. mark — a grade
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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