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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. branch — a division
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. squash — the sport
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. chip — to eat
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. squash — the vegetable

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