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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: bay · bark · wave · straw · present · roll · race · bank

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — there
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. roll — a list
  7. bank — for money
  8. race — the arms race
  9. roll — a cake
  10. race — humankind
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. race — a contest
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bark — to shout

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