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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. object — to protest
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. branch — a division
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — a tin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. land — ground
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. object — a thing
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fall — the season
  20. object — an aim
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. lash — an eyelash

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