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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · row · drill · sharp · bank · mouse · mine · key

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bank — for money
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. sharp — clever
  10. drill — army training
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. key — the most important part
  14. drill — the tool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. drill — a practice
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. key — in music
  24. row — a line

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