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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: foot · snap · sharp · bank · straw · ground · row · pit

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bank — of a river
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bank — for money
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bank — for money
  10. pit — a hole
  11. row — to paddle
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. ground — crushed
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. ground — a position
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. row — a line
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. sharp — with an edge

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