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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: cabinet · branch · current · clip · foot · firm · leaves · straw

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — for paper
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. firm — steady
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. current — electric
  13. clip — to cut
  14. branch — a division
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. current — happening now
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. foot — a measure
  24. current — of water

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