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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. spring — a coil
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. deal — to handle
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spring — of water
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. object — a thing
  13. foot — a measure
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. spring — the season
  17. charge — electricity
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. charge — in control
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. charge — a price
  24. branch — a division

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