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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · bank · spell · arm · straw · game

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bank — for money
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pit — in a race
  8. spell — a short time
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pit — a hole
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. spell — magic
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bank — of a river
  16. spell — letters
  17. bank — for money
  18. game — a match

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