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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. saw — the tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. firm — a company
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. wind — moving air
  15. staff — employees
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. wind — moving air
  21. staff — employees
  22. saw — the tool
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wind — to turn a key

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