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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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. sharp — clever
  4. mate — to breed
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mate — a friend
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. root — of a word
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mate — a partner
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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