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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. branch — a division
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. object — to protest
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. last — to go on
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bulb — for light
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. object — an aim
  18. last — final
  19. object — a thing
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. last — finally

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