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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fine — all right
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bank — for money
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. season — in sport
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. wind — moving air
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. fine — high quality
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. season — of the year
  21. toast — bread
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wind — to turn a key

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