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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: firm · game · ball · mug · straw · kick · bay · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. firm — a company
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. firm — decided
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. firm — steady
  11. kick — in football
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. game — a match
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mug — to rob
  24. straw — dry grass

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