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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. drill — a practice
  11. date — the fruit
  12. game — wild animals
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. drill — the tool
  17. branch — a division
  18. drill — army training
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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