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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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. capital — money
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. kick — in football
  5. bass — low music
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wind — moving air
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. shower — to wash
  10. capital — a city
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bound — certain
  18. shower — rain
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wind — to turn a key

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