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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. object — an aim
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. dip — to sink
  7. branch — a division
  8. spell — letters
  9. charge — electricity
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. charge — in control
  14. spell — magic
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. charge — a price
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. spell — a short time

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