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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 116 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. prune — to trim
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. deal — to handle
  24. branch — a division

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