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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. roll — a list
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. scale — size or range
  6. branch — a division
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. lean — thin
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. scale — in music
  13. roll — a cake
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mark — a grade
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bat — the animal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. deal — a big deal

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