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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: file · suit · kick · branch · foot · straw · wake · bowl

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wake — a trail
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. file — a document
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. kick — in football
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. file — a tool
  15. suit — clothes
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. file — a line of people
  19. branch — a division
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. suit — in cards
  22. foot — a measure
  23. suit — to fit
  24. straw — a straw man

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