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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. field — for sport
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pass — a permit
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. lie — to recline
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bear — the animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. band — a music group
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. field — a subject
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. field — farmland
  24. pass — to spend time

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