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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. deal — to handle
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mine — for digging
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — a division
  19. bear — the animal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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