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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. craft — boats
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wake — a trail
  9. staff — a stick
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. staff — employees
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. branch — a division
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. shower — rain
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bulb — of a plant

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