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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · bank · fall · can · bay · spell · track · toast

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. can — a tin
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bank — of a river
  7. track — to keep track
  8. spell — a short time
  9. track — a song
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. spell — letters
  12. fall — the season
  13. track — a path
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. spell — magic
  23. fall — to drop
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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