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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. land — a country
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. kid — to tease
  14. land — to come down
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. branch — a division
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chair — a leader
  21. kid — child
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. land — ground
  24. can — a tin

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