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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · dip · straw · sharp · mouse · mine · object · bank

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. bank — for money
  3. sharp — clever
  4. object — to protest
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bank — for money
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. object — an aim
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — for digging
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bank — of a river
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. object — a thing
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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