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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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bound — certain
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bound — tied together
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stock — goods
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. charge — in control
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stock — shares
  20. charge — a price
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. charge — electricity

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