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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lie — to recline
  7. kick — in football
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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