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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pop — to visit
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lie — to recline
  8. last — to go on
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. branch — a division
  11. pop — soda
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. last — finally
  14. object — a thing
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. object — to protest
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pop — music
  20. object — an aim
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. last — final

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