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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mine — for digging
  4. key — in music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mate — a friend
  7. row — a line
  8. mate — to breed
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mate — a partner
  12. branch — a division
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. row — to paddle
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. straw — a straw man

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