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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 120 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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mug — a cup
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bank — of a river
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hand — help
  9. bulb — for light
  10. suit — clothes
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bank — for money
  15. mug — to rob
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mug — a face
  22. kid — child
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. kid — to tease

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