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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 120 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: foot · firm · bank · straw · kick · bat · face · dip

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. face — part of the head
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bat — the animal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bank — for money
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. firm — steady
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. face — to confront
  17. bank — of a river
  18. face — to point toward
  19. kick — in football
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. firm — a company
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. foot — a measure
  24. firm — decided

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