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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 120 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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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: deal · firm · chest · foot · object · straw · branch · cabinet

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. deal — to handle
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. chest — of your body
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. foot — a measure
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. firm — decided
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. chest — a box
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. firm — steady
  13. object — a thing
  14. chest — of your body
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. foot — part of the body

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