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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: content · straw · lean · wind · cap · bank · arm · pop

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — thin
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cap — a lid
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bank — for money
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cap — a hat
  14. content — happy
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pop — music
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pop — soda

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