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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. kid — to tease
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. season — in sport
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bank — for money
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ground — a position
  10. cue — for pool
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. season — of the year
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ground — the earth
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bank — for money
  19. row — a line
  20. kid — child
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. cue — a signal

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