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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. charge — in control
  7. can — a tin
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. can — to be able to
  10. charge — a price
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bank — for money
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bank — for money
  16. rock — a stone
  17. tear — to rip
  18. can — a tin
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. charge — electricity
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rock — music
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. scale — in music

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