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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. court — of law
  7. mate — a partner
  8. branch — a division
  9. court — of a king
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. dip — to sink
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mate — to breed
  18. tube — a container
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. court — for sport
  24. mate — a friend

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