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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: season · can · wind · plane · straw · racket · game · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. can — to be able to
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wind — moving air
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wind — moving air
  12. can — a tin
  13. bank — for money
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. season — of the year
  19. plane — a tool
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. can — a tin
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bank — of a river

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