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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: rash · spring · pound · bank · straw · trunk · wake · present

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bank — of a river
  3. spring — of water
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. present — there
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. present — a gift
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rash — a series
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. spring — the season
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. present — the time now
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wake — a trail
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bank — for money
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bank — for money
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. spring — a coil

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