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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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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: straw · wake · sharp · kid · calf · lie · bank · pitcher

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. lie — to recline
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bank — for money
  22. kid — child
  23. wake — a trail
  24. calf — a young animal

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