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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: bank · coach · straw · kick · deal · arm · current · sharp

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bank — for money
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. sharp — clever
  6. current — happening now
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. kick — in football
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bank — for money
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bank — of a river
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. current — electric
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. current — of water
  24. deal — to handle

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