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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: net · bank · spring · cue · rest · calf · straw · pitcher

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — in sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spring — a coil
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. net — after costs
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cue — a signal
  14. net — for catching
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bank — of a river

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