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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fall — the season
  8. tube — a container
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cell — a phone
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cell — in biology
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. fall — to drop
  23. dip — to sink
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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