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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 120 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: arm · mouse · bank · dip · lie · straw · rush · bay

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bank — for money
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. dip — to sink
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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