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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: pitcher · bass · rush · mate · bank · roll · straw · fall

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fall — to drop
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bank — of a river
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. roll — a list
  15. bank — for money
  16. fall — the season
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fall — to drop

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