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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · bay · wind · bear · straw · branch

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. branch — a division
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bear — the animal

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