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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cell — a phone
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. track — a song
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. ground — a position
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. track — to keep track
  15. row — a line
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mug — a face
  19. ground — the earth
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mug — to rob
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. track — a path
  24. straw — dry grass

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