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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bank — of a river
  4. key — in music
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cold — an illness
  12. lean — thin
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bank — for money
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cold — not warm
  22. lean — to bend
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. deal — an agreement

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