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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. row — a line
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. key — the most important part
  14. branch — a division
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bear — the animal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. key — in music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. key — for a lock

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