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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: branch · charge · mark · straw · pit · board · wound · arm

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pit — a hole
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. charge — in control
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pit — in a race
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mark — a trace
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. arm — 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