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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: kick · stand · drill · row · court · foot · bank · straw

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bank — of a river
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. bank — for money
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bank — for money
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. court — for sport
  15. drill — a practice
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. drill — army training
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. drill — the tool
  24. foot — a measure

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