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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 124 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. branch — a division
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. charge — electricity
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bank — for money
  17. mine — for digging
  18. snap — to click
  19. charge — a price
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bank — for money
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bank — of a river

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