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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: clip · foot · straw · fork · wake · can · bank · race

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. can — a tin
  5. race — a contest
  6. bank — for money
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. clip — a video
  11. foot — a measure
  12. clip — to cut
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fork — in a road
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bank — for money
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. clip — for paper
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. race — humankind

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