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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: cabinet · firm · bank · temple · key · straw · cue · kick

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. firm — steady
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. firm — decided
  8. key — for a lock
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bank — for money
  14. cue — a signal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. firm — a company
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. key — in music

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