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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. object — to protest
  5. dip — to sink
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. hand — in cards
  8. club — for golf
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. object — a thing
  12. club — for dancing
  13. swing — music
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. club — a group
  17. swing — in golf
  18. object — an aim
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. hand — help
  21. swing — to play on
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. dip — a sauce

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