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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spell — a short time
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. drill — the tool
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bank — for money
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. spell — letters
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spell — magic
  15. drill — army training
  16. track — a song
  17. drill — a practice
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bank — for money
  22. track — to keep track
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. track — a path

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