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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: straw · root · bank · kick · fall · pit · cue · kid

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. kid — child
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cue — a hint
  9. kid — to tease
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pit — in a race
  12. kick — in football
  13. root — the cause
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bank — for money
  18. fall — to drop
  19. root — of a word
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fall — the season
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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