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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. branch — a division
  3. present — a gift
  4. firm — steady
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — there
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. perch — the fish
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. snap — to click
  11. firm — a company
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. present — the time now
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bulb — for light
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. firm — decided

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