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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mug — a face
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mug — a cup
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. branch — a division
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mug — to rob

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