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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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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: spring · branch · staff · saw · straw · dip · arm · present

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. present — the time now
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. staff — employees
  8. spring — of water
  9. dip — to sink
  10. present — there
  11. saw — the tool
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. present — a gift
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. staff — employees
  19. spring — a coil
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. spring — the season
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. staff — a stick

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