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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pass — a permit
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wound — an injury
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. branch — a division
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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