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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bound — certain
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bound — obliged
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. charge — in control
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. branch — a division
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. charge — a price

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