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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: race · can · cue · sharp · bank · row · kick · straw

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. row — a line
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bank — of a river
  9. race — humankind
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bank — for money
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cue — for pool
  14. can — a tin
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bank — for money
  17. race — a contest
  18. can — a tin
  19. sharp — clever
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. can — to be able to
  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