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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. row — to paddle
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. club — for dancing
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. club — a group
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. last — to go on
  11. root — the cause
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. branch — a division
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. club — for golf
  18. row — a line
  19. root — of a word
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. root — of a plant
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. branch — of a tree

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