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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chest — a box
  3. fine — high quality
  4. track — a song
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. track — to keep track
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. chest — of your body
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. craft — boats
  14. branch — a division
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. track — a path
  19. fine — all right
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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