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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bank — of a river
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. firm — decided
  6. bank — for money
  7. firm — a company
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rest — a break
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rest — what's left
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. branch — a division
  17. firm — steady
  18. rest — what's left
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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