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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bound — tied together
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bound — certain
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — obliged
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mouse — the animal

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