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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. march — the month
  4. lean — thin
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. march — music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. firm — steady
  19. wake — a trail
  20. snap — to click
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wake — before a funeral

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