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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stand — to bear
  5. branch — a division
  6. cap — of ice
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — a lid
  10. saw — the tool
  11. tube — a container
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cap — a hat
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. tube — the underground

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