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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: firm · stand · bowl · straw · kick · ball · cold · current

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. firm — steady
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. current — of water
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. current — electric
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. ball — a dance
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cold — not warm
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. kick — in football
  19. cold — an illness
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. current — happening now
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bowl — a dish

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