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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. sharp — exactly
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. present — the time now
  7. hand — help
  8. wound — an injury
  9. present — a gift
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. hand — in cards
  19. sharp — clever
  20. present — there
  21. root — of a word
  22. stand — to bear
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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