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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. row — to paddle
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. band — a music group
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. foot — a measure
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. row — a line
  24. wave — with your hand

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