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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. deal — to handle
  4. band — a music group
  5. object — to protest
  6. season — of the year
  7. object — a thing
  8. hand — help
  9. rock — music
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rock — a stone
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. season — in sport
  23. hand — in cards
  24. object — an aim

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