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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · racket · straw · object · row · last · mug · branch

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. row — to paddle
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mug — a cup
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mug — to rob
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. object — a thing
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. last — finally
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. object — an aim
  13. mug — a face
  14. object — to protest
  15. last — final
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. last — to go on
  22. row — a line
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. branch — a division

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