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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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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: tear · bank · straw · pit · object · can · capital · rush

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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. capital — a big letter
  4. rush — hurry
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. tear — from crying
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pit — a hole
  11. capital — money
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. tear — from crying
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. can — a tin
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bank — for money
  18. object — an aim
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bank — of a river
  23. capital — a city
  24. can — a tin

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