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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pop — music
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. board — a committee
  7. branch — a division
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stand — to bear
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. board — to get on
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pop — soda
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. straw — a straw man

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