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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 116 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. branch — a division
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. board — a committee
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. board — to get on
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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