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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 116 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. row — a line
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wind — moving air
  5. court — of law
  6. bank — of a river
  7. charge — in control
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. kick — in football
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wind — moving air
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bank — for money
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bank — for money
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rest — a break
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. court — for sport
  22. charge — a price
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. court — of a king

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