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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pit — in a race
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pit — a hole
  5. drill — army training
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rest — what's left
  9. drill — a practice
  10. rest — a break
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. branch — a division
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rest — what's left
  17. drill — the tool
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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