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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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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: wave · rule · track · mug · key · ball · straw · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. key — in music
  8. rule — government
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. track — a path
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. track — a song
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mug — a face
  23. track — to keep track
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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