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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · tube · foot · bank · straw · cue · key · land

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. land — a country
  4. cue — for pool
  5. hand — in cards
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cue — a hint
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bank — for money
  11. land — to come down
  12. hand — help
  13. land — ground
  14. key — the most important part
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. key — for a lock
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. tube — a container
  21. bank — for money
  22. foot — a measure
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bank — of a river

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