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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mug — a face
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wind — moving air
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mug — a cup
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mark — a trace
  14. branch — a division
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rush — hurry
  22. capital — a city
  23. ball — a great time
  24. capital — money

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