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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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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: bank · straw · suit · pass · jam · chair · row · cap

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bank — for money
  4. cap — a lid
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bank — of a river
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. suit — to fit
  22. row — to paddle
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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