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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. staff — employees
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bank — for money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bank — for money
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stock — shares
  22. staff — employees
  23. clip — a video
  24. staff — a stick

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