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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. chest — a box
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mate — to breed
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. branch — a division
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. branch — of a bank

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