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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mug — a face
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ground — the earth
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mug — to rob
  12. branch — a division
  13. ground — a position
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. clip — for paper
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. clip — to cut
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. clip — a video
  24. rash — a series

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