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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.

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: game · straw · season · band · bank · lean · calf · arm

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lean — to bend
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. band — a music group
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. band — a ring
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. game — a match
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. season — in sport
  20. bank — of a river
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bank — for money
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bank — for money

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