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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: leaves · charge · march · hand · straw · suit · kick · firm

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. march — the month
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. suit — to fit
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. firm — a company
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. firm — steady
  12. charge — a price
  13. suit — clothes
  14. hand — help
  15. suit — in cards
  16. charge — electricity
  17. hand — in cards
  18. kick — in football
  19. charge — in control
  20. march — music
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. march — the month
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. firm — decided

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