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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. staff — employees
  10. stand — to bear
  11. content — the amount
  12. staff — employees
  13. mine — for digging
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. content — happy
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. branch — a division
  20. snap — to click
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. staff — a stick
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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