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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stand — to bear
  5. tear — to rip
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. club — a group
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. tear — from crying
  11. club — for golf
  12. tear — from crying
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cap — a lid
  17. season — of the year
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cap — a hat
  20. club — for dancing
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bank — for money
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. season — in sport

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