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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. perch — the fish
  4. can — to be able to
  5. branch — a division
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. degree — an amount
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wax — to grow
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. degree — from a university
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. degree — temperature
  24. saw — the tool

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