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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bank — for money
  8. drill — the tool
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. drill — a practice
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bank — for money
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. game — wild animals
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. game — a match
  24. drill — army training

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