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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 drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wake — a trail
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. plane — a tool
  8. chair — a leader
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. branch — a division
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rule — a law
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rule — government
  24. chair — a professorship

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