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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 124 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bank — of a river
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cap — a hat
  6. race — a contest
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bank — for money
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lean — thin
  13. cue — a hint
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bank — for money
  17. cap — a lid
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cap — of ice
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. race — humankind
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bark — to shout
  24. lean — to rest against

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