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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. craft — boats
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. net — in sport
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. face — to confront
  7. net — after costs
  8. land — a country
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. face — to point toward
  15. land — to come down
  16. face — part of the head
  17. land — ground
  18. bear — the animal
  19. net — for catching
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bear — the animal
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lie — to recline

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