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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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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: track · sharp · wind · staff · kick · straw · rest · tube

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rest — a break
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rest — what's left
  9. staff — employees
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. track — a song
  13. kick — in football
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. track — a path
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rest — what's left
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. sharp — clever
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. kick — a thrill

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