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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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bank — for money
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bank — of a river
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ground — the earth
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bank — for money
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ground — a position
  24. branch — of a bank

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