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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wind — moving air
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. content — the amount
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. race — humankind
  13. content — happy
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. branch — a division
  16. rush — hurry
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wind — moving air
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. race — a contest
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. branch — of a bank

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