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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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 — to clutch at straws
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. key — in music
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. key — the most important part
  10. track — a path
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. face — to confront
  15. track — to keep track
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. face — to point toward
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. track — a song
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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