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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bank — for money
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. roll — a list
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mate — a friend
  16. kick — in football
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. roll — a cake

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