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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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 — dry grass
  3. mug — a cup
  4. current — of water
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fall — the season
  9. stock — goods
  10. fall — to drop
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — shares
  13. branch — a division
  14. current — happening now
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fall — to drop
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mug — a face
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. current — electric
  24. content — the amount

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