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

Word bank: content · straw · cabinet · mate · bank · foot · stick · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. foot — a measure
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. content — the amount
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bank — for money
  18. content — happy
  19. mate — a friend
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rest — a break
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mate — to breed

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