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

Word bank: chair · bank · straw · suit · object · wound · stick · bear

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bank — for money
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. object — a thing
  16. bank — for money
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bear — the animal
  19. object — to protest
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bear — the animal
  22. object — an aim
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. suit — to fit

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