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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cap — of ice
  6. track — a song
  7. band — a music group
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. foot — a measure
  12. track — a path
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cap — a hat
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. band — a ring
  18. track — to keep track
  19. branch — a division
  20. roll — a cake
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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