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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chest — of your body
  4. charge — a price
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. swing — to play on
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. swing — music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chest — of your body
  20. branch — a division
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. chest — a box

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