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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bank — for money
  8. field — a subject
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fine — all right
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. deal — to handle
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. field — for sport
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bank — for money
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — in football
  21. fine — high quality
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. field — farmland

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