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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wind — moving air
  6. staff — employees
  7. current — happening now
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. swing — in golf
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wind — moving air
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. current — electric
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. current — of water
  16. swing — music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. swing — to play on
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. staff — employees
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. branch — a division
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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