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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bank — for money
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. key — the most important part
  7. shower — to wash
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. kick — in football
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. shower — rain
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. hand — in cards
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. hand — help
  22. key — in music
  23. bass — low music
  24. kick — a thrill

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