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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. drill — army training
  3. court — for sport
  4. drill — a practice
  5. kick — in football
  6. court — of a king
  7. wake — a trail
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cue — a signal
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. drill — the tool
  16. branch — a division
  17. key — in music
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. court — of law
  24. wake — before a funeral

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