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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 120 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mug — a cup
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. mug — to rob
  11. object — a thing
  12. mark — a grade
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mug — a face
  18. straw — dry grass

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