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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.

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: mate · branch · straw · swing · spell · mug · chest · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. branch — a division
  3. mug — to rob
  4. swing — in golf
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — to breed
  7. spell — letters
  8. chest — of your body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chest — a box
  12. spell — magic
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mug — a cup
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mate — a partner
  21. swing — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mug — a face
  24. mate — a friend

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