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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. spring — of water
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. board — a committee
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. branch — a division
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. track — a path

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