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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — after costs
  5. bound — certain
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. last — finally
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bank — of a river
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bank — for money
  15. fall — the season
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. last — final
  18. suit — in cards
  19. ground — crushed
  20. net — in sport
  21. suit — to fit
  22. last — to go on
  23. fall — to drop
  24. straw — dry grass

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