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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 ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lie — to recline
  6. season — in sport
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. season — of the year
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. branch — a division

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