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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. hand — help
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. staff — employees
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cap — a lid
  17. snap — to click
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cap — a hat
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cap — of ice
  24. staff — employees

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