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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mug — to rob
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. spell — magic
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. chest — of your body
  10. spell — letters
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chest — a box
  14. mug — a cup
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. suit — clothes
  18. board — a committee
  19. mug — a face
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. spell — a short time
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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