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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rock — music
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. tube — a container
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bank — for money
  14. tube — the underground
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bank — for money
  17. vault — a safe
  18. row — a line
  19. rock — a stone
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. row — to paddle
  24. fan — a supporter

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